Thursday, November 5, 2009

When the saints go marching in

On the heels of Halloween is another holiday that doesn’t get quite as much attention: All Saints Day. This week I was surprised to learn about some of the more unique patron saints that have existed over the course of history (this off-the-wall knowledge comes from Jason Boyett’s book, The Pocket Guide to Sainthood). For those of us non-Catholics who need some background about patron saints, check out Jason’s blog. Now, to name a few of my favorites (and no, this is not a joke):

St. Ambrose, Patron Saint of Beekeepers

St. Martin of Tours, Patron Saint of Geese

St. Vitus, Patron Saint of Oversleeping

St. Caedwalla of Wessex, Patron Saint of Serial Killers

St. Drogo, Patron Saint of Ugly People

Apparently the idea is that if you are dealing with any of these topics/issues in life you may benefit from praying to the related patron saint, because they have an in with God on these areas of expertise. (Lucky for me, I have an in with God on everything because he’s my personal Savior and all.) So finally, there is hope for chronic oversleepers and ugly people! But anyway, check out this article for details on the patron saints above, as well as a few others you won’t soon forget. I promise it will make you smile.

But wait, there’s more. You can also sign up for Relevant’s Great Saint Off and name a celebrity saint (assuming one of today’s celebrities was given such an honor). My favorite so far is, “Saint T. He pities all fools.” Or, I invite you to name your own fictional saint on this blog – be it yourself, a celebrity, or someone else you know (without offending, of course). Get your saint on, people!